Oscar Night? We’ll Be Shouting For “Fresh Guacamole”!

Hand grenade as avocado? Genius.

From "Fresh Guacamole" by Pes

From "Fresh Guacamole" by Pes

From "Fresh Guacamole" by Pes

Dig in!

What does it to take to be an Oscar contender? One-hundred-five seconds. Or so it is in the talented hands of the animator who, under the nom de animación Pes, created the cheeky “Fresh Guacamole.” The 1 minute-45-second stop-action short, which was painstakingly created without computer effects, also has the distinction of the shortest film ever nominated by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

It’s also quite an achievement in a year when there are 5 nominees for best animated film—up from the usual 3. This reflects a record 21 such features were up for consideration this Awards season. “Fresh Guacamole” was made for less than $100,000 by Showtime Networks, as part of its “Short Stories” series, and received 3.5 million hits in its first four days online, many of his fans and followers no doubt excited by this sequel to another fun foodie short, “Western Spaghetti.”

We here at A+R know Pes as the delightful Mr. Adam Pesapane, husband to his equally delightful and gorgeous co-producer and wife Sarah Phelps. Adam also directs commercials (47 and counting at this time); he is also currently in development on his first feature film, a movie based on the Garbage Pail Kids franchise. (Read more about Adam at these great recent features on him in The Los Angeles Times and The New York Times.)

Oh, and when the pair are not making animation magic, they are making babies. Along with the Academy’s results on their Oscar nod, the pair are anxiously awaiting the arrival of their second child any minute! Here’s hoping the baby waits and lets Sarah walk the red carpet!